Kepler Fourier concepts: The performance of the Kepler data pipeline

Given the extreme precision attainable with the Kepler Space Telescope, the mitigation of instrumental artefacts is very important. In an earlier paper (Murphy 2012), the characteristics of Kepler data were discussed in light of their effect on asteroseismology. We continue this discussion now that data processed with the new PDC-MAP pipeline are publicly available; users should use the latest data reductions available at the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST), not just for PDC, but also for improvements in the attached meta-data. We discuss the injection of noise in the frequency range 0-24 c/d (up to ~277 {\mu}Hz) by the PDC-LS pipeline into ~15 per cent of light-curves.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures of which 4 are colour. On material presented at the conference "The Modern Era of Helio- and Asteroseismology" held at Obergurgl, Austria, May 2012. Published in AN (Volume 333, Issue 10, Pages 1057-1060

Towards a framework for analyzing interactions between social science and environmental policy

Interactions between social science and environmental policy have become increasingly important over the past 25 years. There has, however, been little analysis of the roles that social scientists adopt and the contributions they make. In this paper we begin the process, offering tentative answers to two key questions: in relation to environmental problems: (1) how do social science and public policy interact? and (2) in the future, what types of interactions can social scientists engage in? To answer these questions we build on research in policy studies and science and technology studies, and extend it through public scholarship debates

Catalogue of candidate emission-line objects in the Small Magellanic Cloud

H\alpha and [O III] narrow band, wide field (7 * 7 degree), CCD images of the Small Magellanic Cloud were compared and a catalogue of candidate planetary nebulae and H\alpha emission-line stars was compiled. The catalogue contains 131 planetary nebulae candidates, 23 of which are already known to be or are probable planetary nebulae or very low excitation objects. Also, 218 emission-line candidates have been identified with 113 already known. Our catalogue therefore provides a useful supplement to those of Meyssonnier & Azzopardi (1993) and Sanduleak, MacConnell & Davis Phillip (1978). Further observations are required to confirm the identity of the unknown objects.Comment: 8 pages, accepted by MNRA

A Discrete Model for Histogram Shaping

The aim of this article is to present a discrete model for histogram shaping. This is an important image transformation with several practical applications. The model that is proposed is based on a generalization of the inferior part function. Finally, an algorithm based on this model is developed